Bitter Pill
by Eternal Love Song
Summary: Loki and Jane have a fight. [Established relationship]


It was late. Possibly after midnight, but Jane couldn't be sure. She forgot to check the time when she'd hurried home and it would be pointless to do so now. She was late coming home. She was absurdly late, which could work both for and against her. Her husband was likely to be furious with her, but with any luck the late hour would find him asleep.

Jane took a deep breath as she pressed her key into the lock. She turned the key slowly, creeping the door open and trying to be as quiet as she could.

"Where have you been?" Loki's voice greeted her, causing her to cringe with the shock. She stopped in her tracks, a few steps over the threshold. The door closed behind her on it's own, leaving her trapped with the oppressive tension in the room.

The living room was dark. There was no light except for what came in through the large glass windows at the back of the room. Loki was sitting in an armchair facing the door, waiting for her. The city scape was a dark backdrop to him as he was sat in the dark. She could make out his familiar silhouette against the window, but not his expression. She was afraid to imagine it. She hesitated to turn on a light.

He took the option away from her. He reached out and turned on the lamp that stood beside him. It provided barely enough illumination to see by, but it was too much at the same time. She could see the barely repressed anger in his expression and the half empty wine glass in his hand. The bottle sat on the table beside him and she worried about how much of it was gone.

"Did you go to see him?" Loki demanded.

"No," Jane answered quickly. It was the wrong answer to give, not only because it was a were both well aware of where she had been and Loki hated being lied to more than anything else. She tried not to fidget before his scrutiny. Loki hated when she showed her weakness. If she was going to cheat on him she had to at least have the conviction to own up to it.

"I see," Loki replied. The false calm in his voice made her glad that she was still standing so close to the door. "So, what were you doing out at midnight, my dear? Shopping?"

The only thing she had with her was her purse. There were very few excuses she could make convincing without props.

"Loki."

"What?" Loki growled. His hand tightened on the wine glass and she was afraid that it would shatter in his palm.

"I don't want to fight you," Jane told him wearily.

"Don't you?" Loki asked. "You can't truly be such a dimwitted fool that you believe I would not be upset by your being out at this hour without a word. Or perhaps you think I'm such a fool as to not know where you've been?"

"Loki..."

"What?" He yelled as he stood up. "What have you got to say for yourself?"

"I'm not-"

"Don't lie to me!" Loki shouted, tossing the glass against the wall. She cringed at the loudness, wanting to shift her gaze to the shattered glass, but she was afraid to look away from Loki. She took a step back as he pinned her with his glare. "If you're going to fuck my brother at least do not lie to me about it!"

Jane went very still. She had always known he was suspicious of her, but he had never accused her outright. There was a time, in fact, when she had thought that he accepted her affair and kept his silence on it intentionally, so long as she wasn't blatant about it. She must have pushed him too far.

Jane didn't know whether to be afraid or grateful that he was focusing his rage elsewhere. On the one hand, if he was spending his rage on the furniture, it meant that he wasn't taking it out on her. On the other hand, this also meant that he was angry enough to physically vent. He never had before taken his rage out on her physically, but there was a first time for everything. It wasn't as if her husband was a kind man, after all. Not anymore. Maybe that was her fault.

"Loki," She said calmly, determined not to seem cowed by him. "Don't do this."

Loki laughed. It was a harsh, ugly sound. "Don't do this?" He repeated. "Don't do what, Jane? Don't be upset?" He asked as he slowly stepped toward her. "Don't ruin the furniture?" He knocked over an end table as he continued his approach. She backed up until she was against the door. "Don't talk about the truth?" He was yelling again. Almost standing right before her.

If she tried to run he would be livid and she wasn't certain what he would do to her.

"Please, Loki, calm down."

"Calm-" He cut himself off, realizing how loud he was. He stepped back from her, his features smoothing out all at once. "I'm done."

"What?" Jane's eyes went wide.

"I'm done," Loki repeated. "With you. With this. With him. I am done and I will not put myself through it any longer."

Jane felt a shiver of shock run through her. "What does that mean, Loki?"

"I means go," Loki told her as he sat down heavily in the chair. "Get out. I am done pretending that you do not sneak around behind my back. I do not care where you go, but I won't have you in my house another night."

"Loki, please-"

"No!" He yelled. "This marriage is a sham. Your love is a bitter pill that I will no longer fight to swallow. If I am meant to be loveless, then so be it! It is better than trying to wrangle a whore into my house."

"You will not speak to me that way!" Jane yelled.

Loki looked at her with cold eyes. "If you do not want to be spoken to this way, then leave. The door is there and I don't want you here any longer."

"Don't pretend that you are saint here!" She demanded.

Loki stared at her a long time. He rose, turned his back to her. "I'm going to bed. I don't know what I will be moved to do if I find you here come morning." He went into the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Jane felt her legs go out from under her as the tension left her body. She didn't know what she would do or where she would go, but she knew that she couldn't be here when morning came. Her body was cold. Despite everything, this was not what had wanted and she didn't know what to do.


End file.
